Re: The General Footy Thread

Come on lads, it was the team that are currently 4th in the Dutch first division, about the equivalent of beating an average Wigan side, which is where half of their players have polished the bench in the past. Also, Twitcher.com has managed to displace your most creative midfielder in Modric by bringing in VDV, brilliant piece of business.

Re: The General Footy Thread

Wiggipedia wrote:

Come on lads, it was the team that are currently 4th in the Dutch first division, about the equivalent of beating an average Wigan side, which is where half of their players have polished the bench in the past. Also, Twitcher.com has managed to displace your most creative midfielder in Modric by bringing in VDV, brilliant piece of business.

Re: The General Footy Thread

Wiggipedia wrote:

Come on lads, it was the team that are currently 4th in the Dutch first division, about the equivalent of beating an average Wigan side, which is where half of their players have polished the bench in the past. Also, Twitcher.com has managed to displace your most creative midfielder in Modric by bringing in VDV, brilliant piece of business.

I'm not sure Wigan would win the Dutch League though. Or hold the current European champions to a draw.

Given that City paid £24m for Milner, I'd say £8m for VDV was a brilliant bit of business. In most countries teams would love to have two creative players like Modric and VDV in the same team. Yet in this country, people like you lampoon it. It's a shame.

Re: The General Footy Thread

Nothing wrong with creative players Matt, just not all in the same position. Spurs have an unbalanced squad at the moment imo, all your midfielders want to play through the middle, you're too weak on the wings. With the exception of Bale who is a full back you are limited in your attacking options, especially since Lennon on the other wing has started sniffing glue for breakfast. van der Vaart looks like a decent player but what's the point if he doesn't fit with what you have?

Re: The General Footy Thread

to be fair i think he was brought more because he's a quality player, and was available very cheap.

It's Redknapp's job to get the best out of him and Modric, as well as Bale and Lennon. I'd agree Spurs slightly lack balance, but there's plenty to work with, and it gives a chance for Redknapp to prove how good a coach/manager he really is.

Re: The General Footy Thread

Wiggipedia wrote:

Nothing wrong with creative players Matt, just not all in the same position. Spurs have an unbalanced squad at the moment imo, all your midfielders want to play through the middle, you're too weak on the wings. With the exception of Bale who is a full back you are limited in your attacking options, especially since Lennon on the other wing has started sniffing glue for breakfast. van der Vaart looks like a decent player but what's the point if he doesn't fit with what you have?

You know nothing cunt. Bale plays on the wing ahead of Assou-Ekotto and last night was not "limited" at all.

Re: The General Footy Thread

Manchester City made a financial loss of £121m in the 12 months to 31 May 2010, the first full year of ownership by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the club will announce today. Their income of £125m was entirely eclipsed by the wage bill which, for all staff, rose to £133m, up from £83m. That meant the club spent £8m more than their entire turnover on wages alone.

The result of Mansour's investment, now up to £500m in all of City's operations – most spectacularly by signing a squad of international players, several on wages of more than £100,000 a week – is the second biggest financial loss in the Premier League's history. The highest was that of Chelsea, who lost £141m in 2004-05, the end of the first full year following the takeover by the Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich.

City's investment from Abu Dhabi and improved performance – fifth place in the Premier League – led to earnings increasing by 45%, from £87m in 2008–09 to £125m. Season‑ticket sales were up too – this season all 35,000 have sold and "partnership income", largely sponsorship, has increased by almost 400% to £32.4m.

In the annual report, the club proudly highlight their all-round investment, with 106 further non-playing staff recruited, £255 spent per fan on improving the stadium experience, enhanced community programmes and other infrastructure.

Mansour says in an accompanying letter that his aim is to develop City into "one of the most successful clubs on and off the pitch, but to do so without losing any of the characteristics that make it so special".

The annual report reveals that since May the signings of David Silva, Yaya Touré, Jérôme Boateng, Aleksandar Kolarov, Mario Balotelli and James Milner, balanced by sales including Robinho and Stephen Ireland, cost a net £96.6m and significantly increased the wage bill.

City's strategy is similar to Chelsea's in the early days: invest heavily in players to gain success on the pitch, which brings higher earnings from television, tickets and commercial revenue. The aim is to bring young players through to replace the senior earners, and thereby bring income and expenditure more into line.

Their challenge, though, is to meet Uefa's financial fair-play edict, which requires clubs to break even beginning next year. Clubs are permitted to lose only €45m (£39m) to 2014 or they may face sanctions, including, most severely, exclusion from European competitions.

The chief executive, Garry Cook, said City are aiming to meet the requirements. "The last thing we want is not getting a licence to play in the greatest league."